Audeamus
by Red Wasabi
Summary: Sometimes it takes a lifetime to understand what happened. JazzSoundwave.


**Title:** Audeamus

**Author** Red Wasabi

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, I don't have the energy to try and have it!

**Notes:** So tired. Can barely type. ::**dies**:: I feel like I've just run a marathon. I have been working on this story from 8am til 12:30 am the next day! I really need to be appreciated right now. So this is dedicated fondly to Mateem Bluewing, because without her post this never would have been born. Also to the lovely Japanese Artist lady whose name is currently unknown to me, who's wonderful art work was great inspiration.

It hasn't been beta-ed so feel free to correct anything that needs it!

**Rated:** PG-PG13

**Summary:** Sometimes it takes a lifetime to understand what happened. Jazz/Soundwave.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jazz's visor flashed brightly as he checked his chronometer. Slag, he was late again! Quickly he down the last few drops of energon left in his cube and made his way out of the rec. room; Prowl was bound to give him an audio full for being late—again. It was just hard you know, keeping track of all these meetings so soon after the greatest victory in Autobot military history had been achieved. No on was really interested in meetings, and schematics right now, all any mech really wanted to do was get down to the rec. room and celebrate; after all the Great War was finally over and they had emerged victorious.

Jazz's visor twinkled merrily at the con--mech next to him as he slid coolly in to his assigned seat. It was going to be difficult to get back in to the mech femme frame of mind again; he'd been so used to calling everyone a 'con or a 'bot. Those designations were useless now though, there was no Decepticon army. They had fallen with the death of Megatron followed closely by Starcream.

Jazz had been surprised just how quickly their army had folded after the death of their two leaders; sure there had bee a few rebels. A few 'cons who had refused the Autobots amnesty message that had declared turn yourselves in to be reformatted, and reprogrammed and forgiveness will be your; choose to resist and you will be terminated. Most of the 'cons had chosen amnesty, a few had fought—and died, and some, some were just no where to be found.

"Nice to have you show up Jazz." Optimus murmured quietly to Jazz as Prowl glared scathingly at the talking and _late_ mech. "You're just in time to hear me give out assignemtns."

Jazz shrugged easily in Optimus's direction, "You know I was always more of a desert mech then a meal one."

Optimus smiled warmly in response to Jazz's jib at Prowl's long winded meetings, as he stood up to explain assignments. "First of all I'd like to thank our resident Security chief and strategist for keeping us up to date on the latest reconstruction details. Thank you Prowl." Prowl nodded curtly at his commander still obviously miffed that mechs in the meeting had not been paying close enough attention to his debriefing.

"I'd like to remind everyone here that even though we have won the war the battle is far from over." Optimus began explaining. "There are still decepticon rebels who are unaccounted for, and just this morning some of our motion sensors at the old base, 'The Nemesis' were set off. We have reason to believe that this is Soundwave, we don't' know why he is there or what he is planning but we cannot let him get away. Jazz this is where you come in."

Jazz looked up at Optimus from where he was sitting. "Can do Big Blue." Optimus shook his head at Jazz's nick name for him. The cheeky mech was always coming up with new nick names for everyone though this was the first time he'd called him by one. It almost boarded on disrespect but Optimus was sure that his saboteur meant no such thing; he'd simply reprimand him for it later.

"Good to know I can count on you Jazz." He said jovially before getting back to business.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hey Jazz wait up!" Jazz stopped walking and turned toward the yelling mech with a smile. Bumblebee had never been very good at subtle.

Jazz leaned lazily against the gray hallway wall of the ark taking in the amusing sight of Bumblebee running in and out of the crowds of mechs that separated them. "What can I do you for Bee?"

"I just wanted to know if you were alright. When Optimus was talking you seemed—well you jest seemed a little distracted. I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Bumblebee said quietly, noting how Jazz's visor flickered briefly hen he asked his question.

Jazz felt a surge of affection surge within his chassis as Bumblebee looked him up and down concernedly. He'd had some doubts about Bumblebee's personality grid when they'd first met but know he knew better. This small yellow mech cared more for everyone else then he did for himself, and Jazz loved him for it. "Yeah Bee, I'm cool. I was just thinking of something." Jazz assured Bumblebee with a smooth voice, and even smoother smile.

Okay? He was better then ok. He great, he had to be, because after all it wasn't everyday you got the assignment that had driven you to enlist in the first place.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_A crowd of young, but almost too old to be there mechs crowded excitedly around the announcement board in the main halls of the Higher Youth Sector. A mech who looked comparatively small next to the other loudly jabbering youths was trying to violently shove his way forward in the throng to see what had been posted. _

"_What's it say?" He asked the bulky red mech next to him who had the advantage of being at least two heads taller then he was. "They gonna cut back our energon rations again?" _

_The red mech shook his head, "Naw, its way better, we're getting an inner district transfer!"_

_The shorter mech looked towards the unseen board incredulously, "Seriously? We're getting someone new? I thought the council had decided that there wouldn't be anymore transformer due to 'high energy intake'."_

_The red mech shrugged his shoulder plates, "I dunno but it looks like someone made them change their minds. It's says his name is Soundwave…I wonder what he's like."_

_The blue mech next to the red spoke up, "Maybe he's like a seeker or something like that?" A low murmur of agreement passed through the crowd of curious mechs. The new mech had to be something important, or know someone important; you just didn't get an inter-district transfer because you wanted one. And definitely not when there had been rumors of an attack on the sectors; which was, everyone knew, the real reason the council had put and end to transfers. They were trying to hide the sectors form the enemies of the state. _

_A yellow mech snorted, "I dunno he sounds kinda like a loser to me!" A ripple of loud laugher echoed through out the crowd, all but the black and white mech were laughing. _

_The small black and white mech only flashed his visor in annoyance and moved away from the tightly packed crowd. It seemed that Treads was determined to give the mech a hard time before he even knew him. He always acted like that. Quietly the smaller mech padded down the light gray hallways and towards their morning classes. Let all the other mechs be late on their own merit. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

With all the grace of a cat Jazz spun around and quickly blasted the laser gun with his own weapon. He liked to train in the simulation room before a mission, it made him feel focused and ready for whatever may come. Focus and readiness were key aspects of his job—especially this job. The lights flashed light blue in the simulation room telling Jazz that he had completed his level. Jazz's attention was drawn to way the lights flickered carelessly across his arm laser, it reminded him of the first time he ever got to shoot a weapon.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Jazz sat apart from the group of mechs as thy tried out hitting targets for the first time. His visor flashed an envious purple as he heard their laughter and lingo-ed speak. Jazz glared down angrily at his own small and still exo-covered frame. It wasn't right! He deserved to get an upgrade just as much as those other mechs, maybe even more, but by the time it had been his turn for upgrades the matron had calmly explained to him that all excess metals and frames were being sent to the soldiers—there simply wasn't enough to go around for him to get and upgrade. So here he was, stuck with the frame of a sparkling, not even a laser cannon to call his own, when he was practically old enough to join the academy!_

"_Hey Jazz, you wanna come shoot with us? Oh wait that's right—there weren't enough scraps left for you after they upgraded us!" Treads taunted, "Better luck next time scrapling!" Jazz slammed his fist against the wall of the target range as he quickly walked away; their laughter still ringing mockingly in his audios. Neither the taunting mechs, nor Jazz noticed the tall and usually silent blue outsider quietly follow behind him._

_Jazz stomped angrily into one of the few empty target ranges available. How dare they make fun of him, any one of them could have been left in this situation. They just made fun because it had happened to him, and he had always been their scapegoat. Jazz looked down despondently at himself, and now the small size coupled with the lack of upgrades made him even more of a target then he already was. _

"_Advice: Ignore slaggers." Jazz gave a loud yelp as a quiet monotone voice broke though his brooding. _

"_What'd you say?" He asked turning around, knowing full well who the mech had to be. _

"_Advice: Ignore slaggers." Soundwave repeated calmly at the upset mech in front of him. _

_Jazz's face plates frowned as he turned back around to glance longingly at the targets, ". Say I do ignore them, then what? That still doesn't solve my up-graded-less frame problem. I don't even have a slagging finger laser! They said there wasn't enough for even that!" _

_Jazz tensed slightly as Soundwave moved to stand right behind him. Slowly Jazz looked up at the dizzyingly tall mech; he'd never realized just how tall he was before right now. Carefully Soundwave lifted back one of his arms and gently removed one of the double cannons that had resided there since Jazz had first laid visor on him. "Solution: use mine."_

_At first Jazz stared blankly at the impressive piece of weaponry that had been placed in his digits. This was no run of the mill general beginners' cannon—this was a custom made and designed baby!_

_Jazz looked back up at Soundwave's stony faceplates. "You sure you wanna let me it?" _

"_Affirmative."_

_Carefully Jazz shifted the heavy equipment in his digits, with a smile he looked back up at Sound wave and said, "Well then how'd ya like ta teach me ta use it then?"_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jazz stood at the doors to the Ark. It was almost time for him to leave, just a few more minutes and he'd be off. "Hey Jazz?" Jazz turned around to smile fondly at Bumblebee; he'd been waiting for this. He had a feeling that before he left Bumblebee would want to talk to him one more time.

"I'm fine I really am Bee." He began before Bumblebee could even begin. "Why are you so worried anyway? I've done this a thousand times before."

Bumblebee shifted uncomfortablely on his pedes, the coming evening casting a dark shadow across his normally readable faceplates. "I don't know why I worried Jazz, I just—Bumblebee looked up and Jazz nervously. "You promise you won't laugh?" Jazz nodded understandingly, it wasn't any fun to spill your guts to someone only to have them laugh at you afterwards. "I just have a feeling I don't know why; but when Optimus assigned you this mission this morning, I just felt like something would happen—like it would be different from all your others…"

Jazz grabbed the startled yellow mech and pulled him in for a tight hug. Primus bless Bee, he didn't know, of course he couldn't know. Mechs rarely remembered their sparkling-hood; but Bee though he couldn't really understand the feelings he was experiencing when he heard Jazz, and Soundwave's names he knew that there was some kind of connection between the two.

"It'll be alright Bee; I'll be back before you know it." Jazz whispered as he pulled away and transformed. Jazz turned away and sped off without a second glance at Bumblebee; he wasn't sure if he had been telling the truth and he didn't want to look at Bee in case he had told him a lie. He hated lying to Bee.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_Logic Chip: Functioning?" Jazz shot an annoyed glance at his normally quiet friend; that was the fifth time that he had asked him that today. _

"_Yes Soundwave, my logic chip is functioning properly, and no I will not reconsider doing this." Jazz sighed out, as he looked nervously over at the doors for the sparkling matron that had left them a few minutes ago. "Besides, I think this might be good for me you know? I'm getting experience, enriching a sparkling's life—and what 'bot could resist a mech carrying around a sparkling?" _

"_Reasoning: Flawed. Sparkling: Hardwork." Soundwave buzzed out dully._

_Jazz snorted and carelessly waved a digit at Soundwave's much taller frame. "I know they're handwork, but I really think might enjoy being a mentor, and besides someday I might want sparklings of my own. Who knows, maybe this will help me out somewhere down the line."_

_The doors to the sparkling center swooshed open quietly, Jazz whipped around to face the stern faced matron who was walking swiftly towards him holding a tiny yellow bundle. "That's him." Jazz whispered lowly to Soundwave, his optics glued to the minuscule mech in the matron's arms. He could hardly believe that mechs started out that small, it just seemed so impossibly tiny. _

"_What's his name?" Jazz asked quietly as he matron gently handed him the twitching bundle. _

_The matron shook her head and sighed deeply, "We get so many creator-less children during war times. They get dumped here, or found in the rubble, we simply haven't had time to name them all. We've just been calling him no.12DTW, or DT for short."_

_As Jazz glanced down at the calmly recharging face plates of his unnamed mentoree he felt a fierce sense of protectiveness well up inside his chassis. This mech had been abandoned to the Sectors as a sparkling just like he had been. "Can I name him?" he asked hesitantly as he shift the sparkling head to rest on his chassis. _

_The matron shrugged her shoulder plates, "You can if you want, I'll be leaving now, so if you need something don't hesitate to buzz me." With that said she spun swiftly on her pedes and marched smartly back behind the sector doors._

_Jazz looked over at Soundwave whose expression was as usual, unreadable. "What do you think Sound'? Isn't this just the cutest, quietest, most wonderful sparkling I could have gotten?" He cooed giddily down at the sleeping bundle._

_As if on cue the re-charging bundle woke up and turned his face up to look at Jazz. For a moment there was complete silence as the sparkling stared up at the unfamiliar mech, Jazz stared down in awe at the darling sparkling, and Soundwave turned off his audios preparing for the inevitable. _

_Jazz nearly stumbled backwards at the sound of the sparkling's vocalizer going off at such a high decibel. How was even possible that this thing could scream this loud! Panicked Jazz looked at Soundwave for help._

"_Solution: patting back plates." Soundwave offered calmly. Jazz nodded his head, of course patting the back plates! Why hadn't he thought of that? Quickly Jazz began to pat the sparkling's back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. He winced as the screams actually managed to __**grow**__ in loudness. Again he looked wordlessly over at his sickenly calm friend._

"_Solution: Bouncing." Jazz eyed his friend suspiciously, wasn't it bad to bounce a sparkling?_

"_Correction: __**Gently**__ Bounce." Soundwave clarified. Jazz nodded, ok that sounded a lot more reasonable to him. The wails grew in volume before he'd even gotten to the second bounce. _

_Jazz shook his head obviously Soundwave had no idea how to calm down a screeching sparkling, why was he even listening to the big blue lug? Desperate Jazz looked down at his pedes and though, what could he do to calm down the raging sparkling? Suddenly he had an idea, quickly he reached out and yanked Soundwave's frame down to sit on the floor across from him and the yelling sparkling. Maybe the sparkling was afraid of heights! _

_Triumphantly Jazz plunked the sparkling down on the floor between him and Soundwave; stunned the sparkling gave a small hiccup and became silent. Jazzed smirked knowingly across the floor at Soundwave, "See, did I say I could figure it—." He was interrupted by sound of something scooting away from him. _

_In a flash the sparkling was away from Jazz's leg and serenely perched atop Soundwave's lap. Jazz looked on in awe as the sparkling not only, cooed and hummed lovingly against Soundwave's heavy form but offered no protest to being picked up and held as the blue mech stood up. _

"_Primus Sound, I think you just stole my mentoree away from me." Jazz complained good naturedly as he stood up and looked half jealous at the calm and happy sparkling in Soundwave's arms. "Geez, betcha didn't know you were a natural huh Sound', with those mad skills you have a dozen sparklings!"_

_Soundwave shook his head and turned unhurriedly towards the doors, "Probability: Zero."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Carefully Jazz straddled the large pipe and pulled himself along towards the next level of what was left of the once great battle ship, 'The Nemesis.' The great ship now resembled a long forgotten pile of scrap, one that had been left out in the elements for too long. The sea had swallowed up most of the lower levels and the higher ones that had yet to be impetrated by the cold and unforgiving waters were in unthinkable states of disrepair. With practiced movements Jazz hoisted himself up into the higher level, this was where his prey should be. Somewhere among the decrepit rooms, he would come face to face with the one mech who he could never forget.

Quickly jazz ran a scan of the floors, noting that all available power was being routed to a single room of the ship. Jazz moved stealthily towards the room, as he grew closer a familiar sound began to worm it's way in to his audios. Where had he heard that sound before? The noise was almost lyrical, and it spun around in his audios until suddenly he realized: it was the sound of the Rust Sea of Cybertron. It was a sound he hadn't listened to since—

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_We are going to get in so much trouble for sneaking out of the Sectors—especially at night." Jazz chuckled nervously as he settled down next to the already sitting form of Soundwave. They weren't usually allowed out side of the Sectors unattended, and definitely not after sunset. _

"_Experience: Rust Sea at night?" Soundwave intoned ignoring his worrying friend. Jazz's worried thoughts paused briefly. He had never been outside the Sector before this night, and certainly he had never been to the Rust Sea—whether it be day or night. _

_Glumly Jazz shook his head, "No, I've never even seen the Sea before now, have you?" _

"_Affirmative: With Mentor." Soundwave replied quietly as he gazed at the wildly thrashing reddish brown waves. "Suggestion: Shut down optics. Listen."_

_Jazz shrugged his shoulder plates as he tried to hide a blossoming yawn, he really didn't understand why Soundwave had insisted that they escape the Sector together to see the Sea, and why he was asking him to shut off his visor; but if it would make him happy then he would do it. _

_For a few moments Jazz shifted impatiently next to Soundwave's larger frame. It was cold, and he was tired and he would much rather be—a beautiful tinkling noise stopped him mid thought. What had that noise been? He'd never heard anything like it before! Slowly the unearthly noises began to grow in chorus, each sound delicately intertwining with one another producing an unfamiliar rhythm that made something deep inside him ache for something he didn't even know. _

"_How did you find out about this place?' Jazz murmured the joy evident in his vocalizer. _

"_Mentor." Soundwave answered back, his voice holding an uncharacteristic touch of melancholy to it. _

_Jazz nodded sadly, he understood now. There were only two reasons a mech got placed back into the Sectors after they had been paired up with a mentor, death, or abandonment. _

"_I could stay here forever," Jazz yawned out as he shifted around trying to make the jagged metal edges of the cliffs they leaned on seem less uncomfortable against his delicate frame. _

"_Recharge: Necessary." Soundwave said softly while moving his frame to comfortablely accommodate Jazz. _

_Jazz looked over at the inviting lap and then back into his friend's visor. "You sure?" he questioned tiredly, even as his optics began to dim down. _

"_Affirmative." Soundwave assured Jazz as he pulled the smaller mech into his lap. Jazz smile tiredly against Soundwave's leg plates; this very moment in time was well worth any lecture they would get once they returned to the Sectors in the morning. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jazz's air compressor released an unsteady puff of air when he finally saw the mech the he'd been hunting for. Surely this had to be the wrong mech, he had to be wrong. The 'con in front of him was a dull gray colour. Most of his paint was chipped away from his frame, leaving the dull metal beneath it exposed to the elements. The sagging shoulder plates that defined the outline of this mech had nothing in common with the proud square ones that Jazz remembered on his friend.

Jazz's visor flashed in horror as he realized what the mech was clutching desperately to his chassis. The small, and ravaged frame of the cassette named Rumble—Soundwave's cassette—his sparkling. Jazz had heard the rumors, just like everyone else had that towards the end of the war the Decepticons had been getting desperate for spare parts and fuel. He'd heard that they had even begun to cannibalize their own but those had always remained unfounded rumors—until now.

Clearly they had been that desperate, and the cassettes being the youngest and weakest had been the first to fall victim. All of them except the one that Soundwave had managed to protect; his last sparkling.

Jazz jumped as Soundwave gave a frame shuddering sigh, and sagged further on to the table in front of him. Jazz's visor flickered in realization when he saw the small black cable connect Soundwave's chassis to his sparkling's. Soundwave was attempting to save Rumble by draining his own spark energy into his sparkling's fuel lines.

Quickly Jazz raced forward to the prone pair, "Soundwave!" for the first time since the last time he saw him back on Cybertron Soundwave acknowledged Jazz.

"Death: Imminent." He said the fight no longer in his vocalizer.

"No, no you'll live Soundwave I can take you—" Jazz's pleas were interrupted by Soundwave's soft gravely voice.

"Hope: Rumble." Jazz could feel years of unleaked lubricant dancing behind the sensors of his visor. He didn't want Rumble, he wanted Soundwave. He had always wanted Soundwave, all through the war; through out every sabotage job he took he had never forgotten his one true goal. Now here he was standing here, and he was being told to take someone else in Soundwave's place?

He couldn't—he wouldn't, Rumble be slagged; he had waited for vorns for this moment and slaggit he would have it. Jazz looked back at the pitifully trembling form of Soundwave's sparkling. The sparkling would be dead soon if it didn't get some real energon and get those wounds patched up. Slowly Jazz looked into Soundwave's visor, the sadness and desperation in both their visors reflecting back at one another.

With a quiet sob Jazz hung his head and reached out for the quivering sparkling. He could never hurt Soundwave the way he wanted too. He had to take the sparkling, and leave the mech because loneliness he could live with, had lived with, but the idea of living with a Soundwave who was alive but hated him was unbearable.

As Jazz gently took the precious burden from Soundwave's arms, he leaned over and desperately kissed the firm face plate that he had come to love. He could have this one moment, if he tried hard enough, it could be his, and his alone for the rest of eternity. He could be satisfied by that—or at least try to be.

"I love you." Jazz whispered in a faltering voice.

Soundwave's visor flickered dimly, as he drew in one last painful breath, "Thank you." He replied in a voice almost inaudible, and then he was gone. Jazz held back the cry of rage and grief that threatened to explode from his vocalizer at the pain that sharply assaulted his spark. Now was not the time to grieve, Jazz hurriedly scanned the sparkling pressed protectively against his chassis; he had to get this sparkling back to the Ark and into the med bay as soon as possible. He couldn't fail Soundwave now.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"It's a good thing you got him to me when you did Jazz any later and it would have been to late." Ratchet explained offhand while he hooked the sparkling's fuel line directly up to an energon cube. "Don't you worry though, I'll have this damage repaired in no time, and with a little luck I might be able to get him re-programmed before the next status meeting."

Jazz nodded distractedly, he really didn't want t here what Ratchet was going to do to the sparkling; he just wanted to hear that he was going to survive—that he wasn't going to fail Soundwave. "If you will, page me when you're done Doc. I'd like to see him when he wakes up."

Ratchet hummed, as he pushed Jazz forcefully out the door of the med bay, "Yes, yes of course now go and get a decent recharge before you crash in here!"

Dazed Jazz found himself pushed out in to the nearly deserted corridors of the Ark. Languidly he made his way towards his private barrack, the empty hallways echoing with his every pede step.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_The mild tingle of annoyance that had been steadily growing in the back of Jazz's neural net was suddenly quashed when an unseen hand reached out and dragged him into one of the nearly pitch black hallways. _

_The scream that had jumped into his vocalizer turned into a heady moan as one of the mysterious hands began to roughly stroke the seams of his frame. Jazz frowned as he heard the familiar monotone chuckle from behind him. Well two could play at this game._

_Jazz arched his framed enticingly against the firm blue mech behind him. Swiftly he spun around in his lover's now distracted embarked and began sensuously rubbing the metal seam that surrounded the durable but highly sensitive glass plating that covered Soundwave's spark casing. "Jazz: Past due" Soundwave chastised Jazz between throaty moans._

_Jazz's visor flickered brightly in arousal, as Soundwave's digits lightly caressed the outer casing of his spark. "Well if you didn't insist on meeting in the weirdest most out of the way spots maybe I would be on time."_

_Both mechs uttered low groans of pleasure as their sparks merged together. Jazz bit back a loud mewl as he heard Soundwave's vocalizer vibrate directly next to his audios. _

"_Adventure: Adds excitement."_

_Jazz leaned against Soundwave's firm frame panting harshly. Even after months of being together his systems still hadn't gotten used to the extreme strain that was indicative of a spark merge. It took forever for his main computer to online again and his coolant to start pumping properly once more. _

"_You said you wanted to talk to me tonight?" Jazz murmured quietly against Soundwave's chassis. _

"_Affirmative. Request: Tomorrow take Bee to the Sea." Soundwave's monotone voice vibrated pleasantly within in his frame causing Jazz to smile placidly despite his confusion at his request. _

"_Take him to the Sea? I can't do that Sound' that's way different from sneaking out with just you. They might take him away from me if they catch us!" Jazz explained desperately._

"_Mentor: Returning." Soundwave intoned firmly. _

_Jazz's visor lit up, in understanding, "Your Mentor is coming back for you tomorrow?" It all made sense now, Soundwave, though he would never admit it had grown fiercely attached to Jazz's small yellow mentoree. He'd even been the one to give him his name. It would be too hard for Soundwave to leave if Bumblebee was begging him to stay. Jazz's spark trembled savagely within it's casing as he thought of Soundwave's impending departure. Shakily Jazz ignored the sharp pains that struck at his very core he wanted to tell Soundwave to stay not for Bumblebee—but for him. _

"_If it means that much to you then I'll take him." Jazz whispered softly trying to keep his vocalizer steady. Jazz turned his face plates back into Soundwave's side panels and let a low mournful groan. He was doing the right thing, letting Soundwave go; so why did it hurt so much? _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Jazz on lined with a start, he didn't remember ever getting to his barrack; and what had woken him up? The low but persistent beep of his personal comm. answered his second question.

"Jazz here," He said formally trying to keep from yawning. His audios were assaulted by the sound of several loud crashes and one long wail. "Hello?"

Ratchet's panicked and distraught voice finally responded, "Jazz you'd better get to the med bay; you picked up one Unicron spawned pit beast here."

Jazz smiled wearily as the sound of shouting and wailing grew in decibel over his comm. "I'll be right over, Jazz out."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Take it!" Ratchet practically yelled as he thrust a squirming, and crying bundle of metal into Jazz's arms. "The thing is pit spawn! Nothing I did could calm him down, it only made him scream louder and this is after I've re-programmed him!"

Jazz held the upset sparkling to his chest, and in a blink of an eye the sparkling had settled down. The only evidence of his past tantrum was the large hiccups that shook his back plates. Ratchet stared at Jazz with an awestruck look in his optics.

"Primus you're a natural." He murmured deeply impressed with Jazz's sparkling handing abilities.

Jazz let out a sad chuckle as he cradled the worn out sparkling in his arms, "I only learned from the best."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**AN:** So to clear a few points up: Soundwave was singing to Rumble. Megatron was Soundwave's mentor. I can't think of anything else to clear up so if you have questions just ask me in a review! I'm usually pretty good about answering reviewers' questions.


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